


Painful Memories (What Were They Again?)

by Caesar1141, Fidget_the_Crazy



Series: Time Centric Mayhem (‘cause that’s all I ever do) [4]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:00:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29075220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caesar1141/pseuds/Caesar1141, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fidget_the_Crazy/pseuds/Fidget_the_Crazy
Summary: Whispers that sound like shrieks, rage bubbling too close to the surface...What would happen?
Series: Time Centric Mayhem (‘cause that’s all I ever do) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119353
Comments: 5
Kudos: 48





	1. Water Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Caesar for planting the seeds of this idea in my head! I suggest listening to “Starvation” by Two Steps from Hell when the first line break happens.

His eye hurt. 

It ached, rage reserved for a war god bubbling up from the back, making it twitch. There was no way to combat it however; the god was always screaming, and he never stopped, not ever since Majora was destroyed, when it had lost its purpose, its mission to destroy. The only way to quell it was to put the mask on, and he was  _ not  _ doing that again. A throbbing headache was starting to take hold. It must have shown on his face because Wind was looking at him with a concerned face. 

“You look like you’re ready to snap at someone,” Legend commented, “is everything alright, old man?” He was smirking. He didn’t take it seriously. 

He put on a small fake smile. “I’m fine, there's just a lot of things that are going on in my head right now.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, 

Wind looked down trodden. Perhaps that wasn’t the best answer. “I probably shouldn’t have asked in the first place,” he heard him whisper under his breath. Despite his “thoughts” not being about their previous conversation about timelines, he said nothing. 

Warrior tried to direct the conversation somewhere else, and it helped somewhat to take his mind off of the whispering shrieks that were currently filling his head. 

Time heard whispering that night, but that was normal. Whisperings of a livid god ranting about the world becoming corrupted, and that a world full of corruption needed to be purified. It always got bad at night, but he knew how to cope. He pressed his ocarina to his lips and played a song that drew the blinds on the moon, and made the heavens weep. The notes were nigh melancholy, calling for help in a night that was silent.

The boys stayed asleep, despite the drizzle that had started to threaten the fire that they set up for warmth. 

He looked up to the sky and felt the drops of water run down his face. The whispering that filled his ears subsided, soothed a small bit by the song and the distant rumbling of thunder. He closed his eyes and focused on the sounds around him. The drops of water and the creaking sway of the trees rocked him to sleep when Twilight took over night watch. The whispering continued though his dreams, but they weren’t as unbearable as they were when awake. 

* * *

When Time woke up the next day, Legend and Wind were arguing about something. The whispering seemed to amplify at the sound of their bickering. 

“I told you to not ever touch any of my things, Sailor!” Legend snapped. 

“You snoop in other things all the time, Hoarder!” Wind threw back.

“That was only once and you know that!”

“No it was not! You remember the veil incident!”

“That was the Captain’s fault! He was the one that found it! Besides, Wild got his revenge anyway!”

“Do  _ not  _ drag me into this, guys. I’m tired enough already and we can’t afford to start the day on a sour note.”

Sky shook his head as he polished the master sword. 

“You polish that thing every single day, Sky,” Wild commented, “Are you sure that’s good for the blade?”

“That's rich,” Sky said curtly, “coming from the guy that can break said blade.”

Wild raised his hands up in defense. “Sheesh, no need to get defensive about it!” 

This was gonna be a long day, and Time was not going to enjoy it. 

Legend and Wind still continued to argue even as they packed up. It seemed that they were just arguing for the sake of arguing at this point, and eventually Warrior had to separate the two before they threw hands. Everyone was tense, and some were still squabbling with each other, particularly Legend. He seemed very snappish today. 

The bickering and the roaring whispers and the ache in his right eye made him grimace. There was too much sound, too much feeling, too much sensory input. 

TOO. MUCH.  **NOISE.**

The group started to slow, and Time looked up, eye twitching, to behold a single bokoblin in a bokoblin camp. 

The voice of the mask wailed out, wanting a fight, and his shoulders tensed. His hands shook. 

“It might be an ambush,” Warrior warned. The voice didn’t care.

“You don’t say,” Legend snarked. Shut up, Vet. 

“Keep your guard up guys, they might be infected, too,” Wild reminded. The Mask didn’t care. Time started to shake. 

“Do you think we should just go around it? It doesn’t look like it’s worth the time,” Hyrule suggested.  **Fight. Fight now.**

“What if it serves as a bad thing in the future? Might as well fight it and get it over with,” Twilight rebutted.  **I WANT TO FIGHT** **_NOW!!!_ **

“Who wants to do the honors?” Warrior snidely asked. 

Time snapped. 

His hands flew to his travel bag, ripping through to get to the mask in the bottom of the pit that was the pouch that held it. He didn’t realize that he was screaming, too overwhelmed by everything around him, too hyper focused on the voice screeching in his mind and ears and  _ everything.  _ When the mask finally found its way to his face, it latched on, as if two clawed hands were digging into the sides of his face where his ears connected to his head. He screamed louder and everything became a haze. He knew he had a gargantuan sword in his hand and he was obliterating something, but his vision was so saturated with red that he couldn't tell what was being obliterated by his hand. 

All he cared about now was that the screaming wasn’t in his head anymore. 

* * *

The only thing that the boys knew what happened was that Time screamed his lungs hoarse as he took a war-like mask from his bag, put it on, and became a raging monster, demolishing the bokoblin off the face of Hyrule, and everything else surrounding it. 

The next thing they saw was the monstrous deity in the middle of the desolate field, shaking with unbridled rage. 

They expected him (it?) to attack them next, but he simply stood there, looking at his surroundings. The deity then stomped off in a random direction, looking for anything else to destroy.

Wind looked where the deity stomped off with a haunted look. “Now what?” He asked, “do we just try and follow him?” 

Twilight shuttered. “I…” he didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t sure what was the best course of action; run and hide, or try and hunt the deity down.

And frankly, neither did any of the others. 


	2. First of the Lost

Time opened his eyes to a blue sky, dotted with fluffy, white clouds. The headache that he had previously was gone. He sat up and saw that he was in a field that he didn’t recognize, ruins sticking out of the grass at random. Must be still in… Wild’s… yes, Wild’s time. He felt the sting of new wounds covering his body but when he looked down at his arm, he stared in morbid fascination as they slowly sealed themselves shut until they disappeared.

Time stood up once he felt all of his wounds close and looked around, trying to get his bearings. He took a step forward but felt a familiar tug in his right eye, turning around to find the mask sitting on the grass contently, a happy hum of magic pouring out. He turned again, debating whether to simply leave the mask there and move on, but he couldn’t. Wild’s Hyrule was dangerous, anything could get a hold of the mask, and he wouldn’t have that. He picked up the mask and tied it to his belt then grabbed some rations from his bag as he sat on the side of the road that was nearby. 

He followed the road until he found the trail of destruction that the mask had left. It looked like a hurricane tore through the area, leaving a scar upon the earth. He walked for a bit, eventually passing by another traveler, one who was riding on horseback. Time found himself fascinated by the beast, but he didn’t know why. It was a lovely chestnut mare and she looked so familiar, yet he couldn’t place it. 

He estimated that he was about a day away from his group, and he set up camp for the night. That night, he kept his ocarina in his hands, ready to play it if the mask decides to act up again. But it doesn’t, still content and happy that its host finally used it again. 

He wondered why the goddesses loved toying with his life, why he seemed to be so special. The golden goddesses were not the only exception. They seemed to really love giving him a hard time, and now, he’s stuck with a god trapped in a mask screaming in his ears if it isn’t used for a long time. 

No, Time thought with a pause, he wasn’t special. Sky was cursed and had to live with that cause for all of his life; Legend had gone on the most adventures out of all of them; Hyrule lived in constant fear for his whole life. Time looked back at the mask lying near his pack. That mask protected him, despite how violent it was. The more he thought about the heroes, the more he realized that he had it easy, even if his adventures were riddled with trauma. 

* * *

The boys traveled in silence for the rest of the day, following the path of destruction. 

“Do you think the Old Man’s okay?” Wind asked. 

No one really knew the answer to that. From the looks of it, he might as well still be on a rampage out there. 

“We messed up,” Legend admitted, “I have never seen him snap like that. Ever.”

“That was scary, that’s for sure,” Hyrule said. He had been on the verge of tears when they witnessed Time’s feral transformation, “I never thought he could ever get that angry before.” 

“I don’t think anyone was expecting it,” said Warrior, “He seemed like he was unshakable. I wonder what set him off.” 

“He didn’t wake up too happy,” Legend pointed out, “I’m not sure our arguing did any good. Must have had a nightmare or something.”

“No,” Wild finally spoke up, he had been very quiet the entire day ever since getting snapped at by Sky, “He looked like he was having a migraine ever since yesterday.” 

“Did anyone else notice this?” 

No one made eye contact. 

“Did anyone mean to say anything?”

Legend fidgeted. “I didn’t really put much thought into it. I thought he was still trying to figure out timelines and such.” 

“Let’s call it a learning experience then,” Warrior concluded, “If you suspect someone is in pain, don’t be afraid to confront them, and don’t be afraid to reach out.”

There was a mixed response. 

They walked in silence until they found themselves in an open field. They still followed the carnage, hoping to find Time somewhere in the past chaos.

“Hey, I think I see him,” Sky said, looking through the field of death. He pointed to an armored man in the distance, also following the desolate path. He was staring at the destruction around him as he walked forward, almost distracted. 

“Old Man!” Twilight shouted. He looked up, confused, and saw the boys. He walked towards them faster and when finally in their vicinity, he said something way too casual for the situation. 

“What happened when I was gone?”

Legend had to hold back an outburst. They just witnessed Time go insane the day before, and now he’s brushing it off like it’s  _ nothing?  _ He can’t do that! He can’t just turn a blind eye to what happened! What’s  _ surrounding _ him!

“Not much,” he said through gritted teeth.

Time looked at him inquisitively. "Is something wrong?" 

"Oh, I don't know, the fact that you basically went berserk and tore through everything like a tornado in an encampment," Legend didn't mean to snap. He saw the way Time's shoulders tensed, and felt Warrior's glare on the back of his skull. But he also noticed the mask tied to his belt. He didn't like that. 

"Everything was getting overwhelming is all," there he was, trying to brush it away again, "I'm sorry I scared you all."

"And we're sorry for making it overwhelming for you," Sky apologized. 

Time nodded. "Thank you…" Time's face scrunched up in confusion, as if trying hard to remember something. "What do I call you again?" 

Sky looked positively baffled. Everyone was caught off guard by what Time had said. 

“I…” Sky stuttered, “excuse me?” 

“I am so very sorry, but I seem to have forgotten what your nickname is,” Time sheepishly admitted, “I know we’re all named Link, but your nickname we gave you… I can’t seem to remember despite how hard I’m trying to figure it out.” 

“It’s Sky.” 

Time facepalmed. “Of course it was Sky, how did I even forget it! Again, I’m very sorry about that.” 

“It’s… It’s fine.” It obviously  _ wasn't _ fine, and everyone knew it. What did that mask do to him? He looked fine, but what else did he forget? They were walking on eggshells around him, and they didn’t know how to deal with this. 

Twilight and Wild looked at each other with worried eyes. Neither liked where this was going. 


	3. Explanations?

It had been a couple days since the incident. The boys had been on edge the entire day before, and now. Not that Time could blame them, he would have been terrified if he saw one of them scream bloody murder and other go on a rampage after putting on a war mask. Especially after forgetting Sky’s nickname. 

He mulled through his memories, trying to see if there were any missing pieces. There weren’t any other instances, but he couldn’t place where he got the Lens of Truth. He supposed that that didn’t matter all that much. At least he didn’t forget that certain people existed. Right? 

That night, Wind went to check on him. The poor kid was really scared of setting him off lately. Still, Time appreciated that people actually cared for him. He let Wind sit down next to him. It took awhile for the sailor to get the courage to talk about what happened. 

“That mask,” Wind paused a bit, trying to collect his thoughts, “what… what was it that set you off?” 

Time looked down to where the mask was latched on his belt. “Sometimes the mask gets needy is all.”

“Needy?” 

“A very powerful spirit resides in it, and sometimes it wants a host so it can stretch its limbs.” He unlatched the mask and brought it so it was eye level. “I suppose it’s taken a liking to me.” 

Wind shot him a worried look. “Did it possess you?” 

Those words weren’t too far off, but it still didn’t sit that well. “More like I put it on, and it influences me. It’s up to me to put it on in the first place.” 

“But it looked like you had enough of something.” Wind’s concerned face morphed into one of dread. “Does it… speak to you?” 

Time’s grip on the mask tightened. “Sometimes. A day ago it was screaming at me.” 

“How long?” 

“Hm?” 

“How long was it screaming at you?” 

Time thought about whether he should answer that. 

“I haven’t put the mask on for a very long time.” 

Wind’s ears flattened. “You’ve had to deal with screams in your head for  _ years?” _

“Not years, but it has its bouts of clinginess.” 

“That’s not good! You need to get rid of it!” 

“How? If I try to abandon it, then it could fall into more sinister hands. If I try to destroy it, who knows what will happen. I’m not going to risk it.” 

Wind stood up. “You can’t let yourself suffer like that though!” 

Time looked at him with a warning eye. “You don’t know how long I’ve had this mask. And I’ve learned to be very, very patient. I think I can take a few more years, I know how to deal with it.” 

“How long have you had it?” Wind asked, crossing his arms. 

Time glared at him. 

“More than enough years, I’m guessing.” 

“Get some rest, sailor.” 

“Not until you sleep.” 

“It’s not the third night. I won’t be getting sleep anyway.” 

Wind stomped his foot. “You’re impossible!” 

Time only smiled cheekily. “Good night.” 

Eventually Wind reluctantly went back to his bedroll and Time was left alone with the mask. He looked down at the mask in his hands. He searched the carved details in its face. 

“What did you take from me?” 

He heard whispers in his head, different from the desperate cries he heard days before. It was trying to be soothing. It wasn’t working. 

_ “Nothing you need to remember.”  _

* * *

  
  


The next morning was relatively uneventful. Wind still gave him a skeptical look and everyone was still on edge, especially with the mask still in his hands. He forgot that he was still holding it. He put it back in his bag; He didn’t need it now, despite the mask whispering it’s protests. 

_ “no! Don’t put me back!”  _

He ignored the voice, and kept walking. 

Most of their trip was made in silence. A part of Time enjoyed the quiet and the background noise of nature being the thing he could hear the most, but there was still an air of  _ wrongness  _ to it. He saw the others stealing glances at him, but he ignored it. 

“Is there something that that mask does in particular?” Four asked. That was an odd question. 

“I think you already know that answer, smithy,” Time replied. 

“Well, obviously, but I’m talking about other things, like how it affects your mind, or if it controls your emotions or something. How does it work?”

Time needed some time to think. Besides transforming him into a brutal deity, what else did it do? He mulled through some of the memories that he remembered of the mask and what it did. It gave him a boost of strength, but they already knew that. It talked to him, but he didn’t think that would be a good thing to tell them. 

“It’s usually focused on battle, so as long as I’m fighting one, it’s a guarantee that the deity will win. It helps improve stances and battle form when it’s not so angry.” He shouldn’t have said that. 

“Angry?” Four raised a brow. Wind shot him a glare. 

Time hesitated to answer. He didn’t have to, and so he opted to be cryptic about it. 

“Is it screaming at you still?” Wind asked, knowing exactly what he was saying. Murmurs sparked in their little group, looks of surprise and shock were sent his way.

Time bristled. “No,” he answered flatly, “It’s not.”

“How long did you have to put up with  _ that? _ ” Legend asked. 

Time didn’t answer. 

A portal was nearby. They could all feel it. They walked forward down the path and found it, luring them towards it. Even the mask seemed to want to go through it. That never happened. Curious. 

“Who wants to go first?” Sky asked. 

Warrior and Time both raised their hands. 

“You guys can go together then.” It was clear that they didn’t want Time going off on his own. 

He and Warrior stepped up to the portal. He felt the thrum of dark magic enclose them both like a cold hand, gently trying to drag them forward. It gave both men a shiver down their spines, but they walked forward carefully, ready to face the unknown ahead of them. Time reached a hand towards it, feeling the cold darkness wrap around his hand, letting it guild him through. He became enveloped in darkness, only to set foot onto grass on the other end. Warrior still by his side. 

He knew the area instantly. He would recognize that ranch in the distance anywhere! 

He was home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I just CaN’t GeT eNoUgH LoN lOn RaNcH we’re going back there. Yaaaay! 
> 
> No wonder the Mask was eager to get there. 
> 
> Hekkin papa Kinshin...
> 
> Oh, the third night that Time is talking about is his sleep schedule, he can’t sleep until three days have passed. You may recognize this from other fics, such as LiaFT and *Quirks* by L3t_U5_Do_That_Aga1n.


	4. Leaking Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peace, but what happened again?

Getting to the ranch was a simple walk (run in Time’s case). The boys were happy that the mood seemed to lift with this new familiar location. Time burst through the doors to the ranch, eager to see the woman he married loved, the woman who pulled him out of the darkest corner of his mind. He found her hauling hay bales to the barn. 

He shouted her name and she turned around after setting the hay bale down, her face lighting up when their eyes met. He plucked her off the ground and spun her and hugged her close. 

“I missed you,” he whispered to her. 

She hugged him  back  and kissed his cheek. “I missed you too. I’m guessing you ditched the boys to get a head start?” 

Once they broke away from each other, Time rubbed his neck. “I suppose I did. They should be getting here in a  little bit.” 

They did show up on the ranch eventually , and once they got settled down again, they were immediately given chores to do around the house.

It was a very peaceful  day . The boys  still gave Time worried glances here and there , but with the environment so peaceful and homey,  It was hard to stay worried.

That night, Malon found Time on the roof of the barn again, the usual spot he went to if it wasn’t the third night. He was looking up at the stars. The moon was obscured by the clouds, and he  was  thankful for that.

She climbed up to the roof sat next to him. They sat there in silence for a moment, acknowledging the other’s presence, but not having to vocalize anything. 

”How many more nights until you can sleep again?” She asked.

“Just one more night.” He fiddled with the ocarina in his hands. 

“You look like you’re looking forward to it.” 

Time chuckled. “I do. At least the mask isn’t screaming at me anymore.” 

Malon raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said you weren’t gonna put it back on.” 

Time sighed and looked away. “Things got overwhelming.” 

Malon rubbed his back reassuringly.  “Is it possible to soothe the spirit so it doesn’t keep bothering you?”

“If there is, I’d like to know what the solution is. I’ve tried the Song of Healing before but it doesn’t work. I’m not sure  that’s  what it needs.” He looked down at his ocarina. “I’ve taken to using the Song of Storms as a way to cope. ” 

Malon hummed. “Maybe that’s the most you can do right now,” She grabbed his hand gently, “You have people here that care for you. I’ve seen how the boys look up to you. And you shouldn’t ever be afraid to tell me about anything.” 

Time leaned into her touch, his head resting against her shoulder. “Thank you for looking out for me.”  _ Thank you for keeping me sane. _

“Always. Everyone deserves love.” 

_ Do they? _

* * *

The ranch rose with the sun the next day (a few exceptions being in the form of Sky, Wind, and Hyrule), lazily starting the day with laughs and joy and a chaotic breakfast. Time loved the environment that this place had, one of care-free and peace that can soothe the soul. He wished that he didn’t have to leave again, but he knew that was inevitable. At least he could treasure the good moments, right? 

At least the moments that he could still remember. 

That day he forgot Warriors’s nickname , and couldn’t remember where more of his items came from. He let the Princess Ruto fiasco slip his mind and couldn’t recall details of what or how that happened.  The process was gradual throughout the day. People were getting worried.

“Maybe we should stop calling him the ‘Old Man’,” Legend tried to joke, “the more we do, the more he might go senile.” He earned a punch on the arm from Twilight for that. Time simply laughed it off. 

The next day, it finally dawned on Malon how serious this was. 

“Cremia,” Time asked as he watched the fairies swarm the sugar bowl, “Why do we feed the fairies?” 

Malon stopped what she was doing mid action, eyes growing wide. She hadn’t heard that name slip from Time’s mouth in a very very long time. And the fact that he was asking such a heavy question, she knew  there was something extremely wrong . 

“Why do you think we feed the fairies?” She asked carefully. 

“I’m not sure. I don’t ever remember the reason. They are very lovely creatures, though.” 

Malon bit her lip. “Do you remember Navi?” 

Time looked up in thought. “Who’s Navi? Unless you’re talking about my family, I don't remember anything about a ‘Navi’”. 

“Family?” This was new. Was he remembering things differently? When the boys said that he was forgetting things, she didn’t think it was  _ this _ bad! 

Time looked at her confusedly. “I thought I told you about them before. We lived in the forest, but I had to leave because...” Time paused, trying to recall any fading details of this made up memory. “I don’t know why anymore. Curious.” 

Malon stopped what she was doing and cupped his cheeks. “Are there any vivid details that you remember? Anything from your adventures?”

Time looked away in thought. “I remember leaving the forest to do something, I met you, I went to go meet the princess I think, and she sent me… um… sent me to find gems of some kind. Something spiritual? Something like that ,” he said with a nod. “ And once I got those, she sent me to the temple, and suddenly I got older. I don’t remember what I did to turn me older. But then I had to go do things, like help others and uh… then I had to fight evil. I don’t remember what it looked like, but I do know its name was Ganon.” 

“Anything else you remember? The temples?”

“Temples…” Time ran a hand through his hair. “I remember the one in the forest, and the fire temple and water temple, and the one in the desert, and that’s it.”

“Wasn’t there another one? The shadow temple?”

Time blinked , turning the words over in his mind . “I don’t ever remember anything about that. There were other things I did, like the Dodomgo’s Cavern, nothing about a shadow temple.”

“Do you remember why you left the forest?” 

Time sighed. “No. Let’s finish what we were doing, we're wasting daylight.” 

Malon nearly stopped him, but thought before doing anything else. He probably needed some time to think. She needed time to think. There’s no use interrogating him right now. 

Time at the moment was racking his brain to try and see if he remembered anything else. He didn’t remember the horrors that resided at the bottom of the well in Kakariko. He didn’t remember trudging through the insides of a fish, looking for a troublesome princess. He didn’t remember traveling through time and space again to fight a war alongside another Link.

He did remember his wife. He did remember the boys, and this new adventure. He did remember healing after whatever he did. He knew that his past scarred him, and that he had two adventures. He supposed that’s all he really needed to know. Right? 

The mask in his bag hummed in agreement. He didn’t need those things. He only needed to remember the good moments. 

_ No use for anything else. _

_No_ _more_ _need for_ _bad memories._

  
  



End file.
